Wellbeing Issues Once Students Arrive

The transition to life in the UK brings with it many wellbeing issues and one of the main causes of these issues for international students is in how life in the UK compares to their expectations. 

Of the students we spoke to, 46% described their life as a student in the UK as 'different to what they expected'. Whilst this figure comes from students who have never visited the UK, among those who have been in the UK before, 26% said their experience still came as a surprise. 

These disparities in a student's expectations can come in many different forms, and they all have their own effect on a students wellbeing.This is why it's important that universities understand these wellbeing issues so that they can prepare students through the right pre-arrival content.

From speaking with international students in a number of different focus groups, we found five major causes of wellbeing issues experienced by international students. These being: 

1. Weather
2. Cuisine 
3. Accommodation
4. Making friends
5. Academic differences

(Click on each cause to find out about the issue in detail)